A Short Tour of Basilica del Sto. Niño, Cebu City

These photos of the Sto. Niño Basilica or Basilica del Sto. Niño in Cebu City were taken way back June 2013. In October 2013, the bell tower of the basilica collapsed due to the force of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that hit Cebu and Bohol.

The Sto. Niño Basilica is considered to be the oldest church and monastery established in the Philippines. The church was built after the Spaniards, led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived in Cebu in 1565, and a wooden statue of the Sto.Niño was discovered by one of Legazpi’s men.

The first church built on the site where the wooden statue of the Sto. Niño was found was burned to the ground in 1566. Likewise, since wooden materials were the only resource at that time, the second church built was burned two years after its completion in 1626. Finally, in 1735, the foundations of the present church was started and was built with stone.

Inside Basilica del Sto. Niño in Cebu City

Beautiful images painted on the ceilings of the Sto. Niño Basilica

During my visit, many Koreans reveled in the beauty of the first ever church in the Philippines. They took a lot of photos of the historical site, and I watched them with great interest, thinking if they were actually interested in the church since most Koreans are not Catholic.

Sto. Niño Church in Cebu

Efforts have started to be undertaken to restore what was damaged in the Sto. Niño Church. It is crucial that Cebuanos and the government help each other in restoring and preserving the Sto Niño Church as a cultural and national heritage for many years to come. -HANA